A financially motivated fraud ring tracked by CYBERA under the name 'Diligent Planner' is impersonating US city and county planning departments to collect fake permit fees from property owners with active applications. The scheme exploits the fact that customer-authorized payments bypass behavioral fraud controls, making beneficiary mule accounts the primary detectable signal. The operation uses disposable webmail identities, US-based mule accounts operated by foreign actors, and is shifting toward instant P2P rails and smaller regional banks.
wire fraud
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The FBI Warned About Fake Permit Fees. The Harder Question Is Where the Money Goes.